take a break
by astarisms
Summary: Gabriel needs a break from his problems. Luckily, Lucifer is an expert at running. Roadtrip AU. 1st place prize for a tumblr giveaway.


"Pack your bag."

Gabriel looked up from his desk and the harsh lighting of his laptop, blinking a few times to clear his vision before his boyfriend came into focus.

"What?"

Lucifer strode further into the room, coming over to where Gabriel was seated.

"I said," he reached out, shutting the laptop, "pack your bag."

Gabriel looked between him and his laptop, confused and floundering for a response. Lucifer only raised one dark eyebrow at him, waiting expectantly for him to get up and do as he'd said.

"You can't — What — I'm working, Lucifer," Gabriel said. Flustered, he rearranged the papers around him and tried to open his laptop back up, but Lucifer laid his hand across the top, assuring it remained closed.

"That's the problem. You're always working lately and it's stressing you out. More than you're already always stressed out. And that's stressing me out, as in, annoying the shit out of me. So, pack your bag, we're going on a little roadtrip."

"You can't be serious."

"As a triple homicide."

Gabriel opened his mouth to respond, then closed it, surprised with the choice of words.

"The phrase is 'serious as a heart attack', Lucifer," he corrected gently.

"Maybe, but that's so boring. Let's go, get up." Lucifer wrapped his fingers around Gabriel's bicep and tugged him to his feet. Gabriel looked helplessly down at his work.

"I have to get this article in! It's due today, I can't just drop everything and—"

"You had a few sick days saved up, so I took the liberty of calling in for you. Your coworkers send their best wishes, though Uriel sounded a little insincere when he commented on the pain of shit coming out both ends."

"You — You told them what?!"

Lucifer smirked, clearly entertained as he pulled one of Gabriel's backpacks out of his closet, and ignored his question.

"I think that kid was trying to imply something about you. Do you often spew bullshit from both ends, babe?"

Gabriel sputtered indignantly, still reeling from everything Lucifer had dropped on him at once.

"I do not! If anyone, it's that by-the-book, narrow-minded—" Gabriel cut himself off at the amused look Lucifer shot him over his shoulder. "Anyways," he continued after a deep breath, pulling his glasses off to rub the bridge of his nose, where he felt a headache forming. "You can't just — just do these things." He waved his glasses around, as if they were enough of an explanation of what he meant by 'things'.

"Well," the taller man said, unapologetic. "I did. You got about 15 minutes to get your shit together before we hit the road."

With that, he walked out of their bedroom. Gabriel's eyes followed him in disbelief, though he supposed he shouldn't have been surprised.

Lucifer operated under his own set of rules.

With a forlorn glance back at his laptop, Gabriel sighed and started grabbing clothes.

"Where are we going?" Gabriel asked, not for the first time. Lucifer didn't spare him a glance, but he did, at least, acknowledge the question this time.

"Somewhere."

"That's not an answer."

"Sure it is."

Gabriel sat back in his seat, chewing on the inside of his cheek. He was quiet for a few minutes, obviously not expecting Lucifer to say more, but silence, as much and as often as he craved it, was never a good thing for Gabriel.

It gave him too much time to think.

"You know, I think we should turn around. I really have to finish that—"

"If you finish that sentence I'm gonna duct tape your mouth shut."

"But—"

"No but's, Gabriel," Lucifer snapped, annoyed now. He looked over at him in the passenger seat. "You've been working nonstop since your cousin died. And all the shit going on at work, with Michael and Uriel…" Lucifer's fingers tightened around the steering wheel.

Gabriel stared, wide-eyed. They hadn't brought up Anthea's murder since her funeral a month ago, and he'd had no idea Lucifer had even known about his problems with Uriel and Michael.

"You needed a break from all that bullshit," Lucifer continued after a tense minute. "And good thing you have me for it."

"Lucifer," Gabriel breathed, fighting for words. Mentioning Anthea and his work feuds had opened up a sore spot, but at the same time, the consideration from his boyfriend made Gabriel feel a little soft.

"Don't say what I think you're gonna say," Lucifer warned, shooting another glance to him, but this time it was more nervous at the idea of a thank you or some other heartfelt expression of gratitude. "In fact, don't say anything along that train of thought at all. I wasn't kidding about the duct tape."

Gabriel raised his hands in surrender, though a smile tugged at the edges of his lips.

"Okay, okay," he conceded. He let a beat pass. "So, where are we going?"

"Shut up," Lucifer groaned, reaching across the seat to punch Gabriel in the shoulder. The victim laughed, though he reached up discreetly to rub at the tender spot.

"Get up," came a voice from above him, distant and muffled. There was a nudge to his shoulder, and the words became clearer. Gabriel blinked his eyes open, Lucifer in his direct line of sight in the space left by the open car door, his bulky frame silhouetted in the fading light.

"Where are we?" Gabriel asked groggily, slowing coming to.

"Why don't you get out and see for yourself."

Gabriel rubbed at his eyes, and Lucifer moved out of the way so he could get out. When his sleepy eyes finally adjusted to the bright sun, Gabriel looked around.

So their first stop was the beach. Interesting, considering Lucifer wasn't the biggest fan.

"You brought us here?" Gabriel asked, looking up at his boyfriend as he climbed out of the car. Lucifer shrugged. Gabriel looked out at the white sand. The tangy air and the crash of waves and the calls of seagulls were oddly relaxing.

"Don't get too comfortable. It's only a stop on the way," Lucifer grumbled.

"Duly noted. But I didn't bring…" Gabriel didn't get to finish before he was silenced with fabric to the face. He sputtered and pulled it off to look at it.

It was swimwear.

"Don't worry," Lucifer called over his shoulder. "I did."

They spent only the day at the beach. Lucifer told Gabriel they weren't staying here, and then had both of them wash off in the showers just off the sand.

They jumped back in the car to change, hair still dripping, and Lucifer dumped the bottle they'd used as shampoo and bodywash into the backseat.

"Why can't we just stay the night here? Are you sure you want to keep driving?"

"Don't give me lip. I told you not to get comfortable," Lucifer said, and shook his damp hair in Gabriel's direction.

"Agh! What are we, five?"

"Add 20 years to that and you'd be on the money." Lucifer pulled back and set the car in reverse, and then they were off to their next mystery destination.

"This stop might be more for myself," Lucifer admitted as he parked. "But it's on the way."

"Uh huh," Gabriel hummed skeptically, shooting a weary glance at the building looming in front of them.

"And what else is open this late?"

"Hmm."

"I have to go in there. You understand."

Unfortunately, Gabriel did understand. He shouldn't have been surprised that at an ungodly hour in the middle of the night, they were parked in front of a store called Skeletons in the Closet that boasted being the "Coroner's Gift Shop".

"Your twisted sensibilities aren't so much a surprise as a disappointment anymore, Lucifer," Gabriel teased. Lucifer rolled his eyes.

"Oh, fuck you," he said, climbing out of the car. "Five minutes."

He was, in fact, in there for much longer than five minutes.

Gabriel had a crick in his neck. After Lucifer had come back with his spoils that Gabriel definitely didn't want to see, he had decided that it wasn't a good idea to drive anymore tonight. He'd pulled the car into an abandoned lot and when Gabriel had expressed concerns, he'd only made a show of locking the doors and then leaning his seat back.

"Tonight, we're roughin' it," he'd said.

But it was fine, because Lucifer had assured him a hotel next time, and they were at a vineyard.

Lucifer had always mocked Gabriel for enjoying a good glass of wine instead of the hard stuff he kept at hand like whiskey and scotch, so bringing him here was a step from Lucifer that Gabriel wouldn't have expected.

"Well?" Lucifer prodded as Gabriel just looked around at all the options. He'd usually only ever gone with the cheapest bottle he could pick up at the grocery store. "Go enjoy your grown up grape juice."

Gabriel grinned, and enjoy his grown up grape juice he did.

The next stop was… a town, it appeared.

"It's a historic site, or whatever," Lucifer explained. "I figured since you like this kinda nerdy shit we'd stop here."

Gabriel climbed out of the car, looking around, before it dawned on him where they were.

"Shasta," he murmured to himself, and Lucifer gave him a dry look.

"It doesn't surprise me you know exactly where we are."

"I've always wanted to visit this place. It's been right on our doorstep but I've just never had the chance. This town was alive and kicking just around 150 years ago, and now it's a National Park."

"Just because I brought you here doesn't mean you get to nerd out the whole time."

Gabriel shot him a look that Lucifer only laughed at, and then began walking.

"Damn, I wish I'd brought my camera."

"You have a camera."

Gabriel sighed at Lucifer's unending ability to be unagreeable, but then smiled over his shoulder at him. After all, he'd brought him all the way out here.

"You're right. And besides, it's the memories that count."

Lucifer scoffed.

Gabriel didn't know what to expect when he saw the Welcome to Oregon sign, but a scenic drive through the mountains was not it, as beautiful as it was.

He especially didn't expect Lucifer to pull off road and park in front of a building that boasted cabin rentals.

"Wh…"

"It's not a hotel tonight, but I thought this might be better."

Lucifer hopped out of the car and went inside to pay and grab the key while Gabriel still stared dumbfounded out of the window.

"You're gonna catch flies," Lucifer commented as he slid back into the driver's seat. Minutes later, they pulled up to a cozy cabin.

"Where are we, exactly?" A pamphlet fell in his lap, and he looked up at Lucifer.

"It says on there," he said offhandedly. "Don't ask me to try and pronounce it."

Gabriel skimmed through the small booklet, finally figuring out their location: Umpqua National Forest. The pictures looked beautiful, featuring trails and fields and waterfalls, but their temporary residence looked comfortable, too.

"I can't wait to finally relax," Gabriel said, sighing and grabbing his bag.

"Don't get too comfortable," Lucifer tsked, striding up the steps. "We're going hiking."

Their last stop, it appeared, was Seattle. The Space Needle to be exact.

Standing at the top, looking over the entirety of the bustling city, Gabriel turned to look up at Lucifer.

"I can't believe you did all this," he said, shaking his head, a teasing smile on his lips. "It's not like you to be considerate of other people, Lucifer."

"I don't think I have to remind you that we're 605 feet up in the air right now and a drop from this fuckin' high would kill you instantly."

Gabriel laughed, leaning against him.

"Okay, okay. I'm sorry. Thank you."

"Don't mention it," Lucifer said, though he wrapped an arm around him.

"No, really. This means a lot to me."

"I still have that duct tape, Gabriel."


End file.
